Mechanism for operating electric switches in cooperation with electric fuses



Aug. 2, 1966 J. c. CLASON 3,264,434

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES IN COOPERATION WITH ELECTRIC FUSES Filed April 9, 1965 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY? United States Patent "ice MECHANISM FoR orEnATrNo ELECTRIC SWITCHES IN COOPERATION wrrn Erec- TRIC FUSES Jan Christiaan Clason, Hengelo, Netherlands, assignor to When one considers an electric switch with an operat ing cylinder and piston in cooperation with an electric fuse as a cut out, one must take into consideration that a sufficient amount of air with a substantial over-pressure must be directed to the operating cylinder as soon as the fuse has functioned. In unattended switch stations, in which at times in one or more years a shut down will occur, one can use a blank cartridge which is set off to provide the necessary gas pressure.

The cartridge producers have developed for this purpose, a definite blank cartridge to be provided in the system in such a way that the cartridge bottom is directed downwardly and the firing pin is so situated that it receives an upward blow in order to ignite the cartridge.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an intermediate mechanism between the fuse and the blank cartridge which, on the one hand will be readily and reliably controlled by the fuse, and on the other hand will direct an upward blow on the firing pin to ignite the cartridge. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a fuse element which responds to direct a pin from the bottom thereof below the casing of the fuse element and which by further elements operates to release a falling or gravity-energized hammer by release of a latch. The hammer is rotatably mounted on a horizontal axle and will first fall to its lowest position of motion and then move upwardly to strike the firing pin of the cartridge.

Further objects will be apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a detail as to the intermediate mechanism.

FIG. 1 illustrates a fuse housing 10, in which two safety devices or fuses 11 and 12 are mounted in vertical positions and each in its chimney where preferred. These two safety devices are in two phases of a threephase system while the safety device of the third phase is not shown in FIG. 1, as it is provided in its own chimney. When now one of the fusible safety devices or fuses 11 or 12 is effected, a pin or rod 13 or 14 will move downwardly out of its safety device and strike an intermediate rod 15 or 16. The intermediate rods 15, 16 are slidably mounted in a grate or screen 17 and can, for example, each be pressed upwardly by a spiral spring, not shown. By the movement of the pin 13 or 14, the respective intermediate pin 15 or 16 will move counter to the spring force downwardly and strike one of the arms 3,264,434 Patented August 2, 1966 of a plural-armed spider 18, FIG. 2, which at its midpoint is mounted on a lever 19, pivoted at 20 and comprising a rotatable latch 21. The latch 21 rotates clockwise around the pivot 20 rto thus free a hammer comprising a hammer head 22 and a hammer handle 23 secured to and rotatable around a horizontal axle 44. The hammer around release by the latch 21 will rotate counterclockwise and will, after having passed through its lower vertical position, reach a horizontal position shown in dash lines in FIG. 1, in which the hammer head 22 strikes a firing pin 26 to ignite a cartridge 27 which will create, first in an intermediate chamber 28 and then in a chamber 29 connected to the operating cylinder of the electric switch to be actuated such a gas pressure that the piston in the cylinder will be moved and the switch will be actuated.

After the operation of the system the hammer head 22 and its handle 23 will come at rest in its bottom vertical position below the axle 24 to thus serve as an indicator of one or more fuses having functioned.

I claim as my invention:

1. A safety device adapted to actuate an electric switch comprising a housing, at least one fuse element in the housing and having a slidable pin releasable from the fuse, a handle member with a weight at one end and pivotally mounted at the other end, a latch pivotally mounted in the housing to hold the handle and weight in a position poised for movement when released, and means in the housing to cooperate with the pin to actuate the latch thereby releasing the weight which latter falls by gravity to strike a device causing actuation of the electric switch.

2. A safety device according to claim 1, in which the device causing actuation of the electric switch includes a blank cartridge and a striker pin as well as a powder charge to create gas pressure when fired for actuation of the electric switch.

3. A safety device according to claim 1, in which the means includes a further pin and a pivoted lever connected with the latch.

4. A safety device according to claim 1, in which the weight and its handle member rotate approximately 270 from its latched position to its striking position.

5. A safety device according to claim 1, in which the weight and its handle member rotate approximately 270 from its latched position to its striking position and thereafter will rotate back approximately to a vertical position to serve as an indication that the fuse has functioned.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,183 3/1903 Read 200-144 2,026,381 12/ 1935 Fielder 200-121 2,096,619 10/ 1937 Prince. 3,118,991 1/1964 Scott 2001 16 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,440 9/ 1949 Australia.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SAFETY DEVICE ADAPTED TO ACTUATE AN ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPRISING A HOUSING, AT LEAST ONE FUSE ELEMENT IN THE HOUSING AND HAVING A SLIDABLE PIN RELEASABLE FROM THE FUSE, A HANDLE MEMBER WITH A WEIGHT AT ONE END AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT THE OTHER END, A LATCH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN THE HOUSING TO HOLD THE HANDLE AND WEIGHT IN A POSITION POISED FOR MOVEMENT WHEN RELEASED, AND MEANS IN THE HOUSING TO COOPERATE WITH THE PIN TO ACTUATE THE LATCH THEREBY RELEASING THE WEIGHT WHICH LATTER FALLS BY GRAVITY TO STRIKE A DEVICE CAUSING ACTUATION OF THE ELECTRIC SWITCH. 